Himalayacetus | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | †Ambulocetidae |
Genus: | †Himalayacetus Bajpai & Gingerich, 1998[1] |
Species: | †H. subathuensis |
Binomial name | |
Himalayacetus subathuensis Bajpai & Gingerich, 1998[1] |
Himalayacetus is an extinct aquatic cetacean known from fossils found in the Himachal Pradesh, India.[2] It lived in the remnants of the ancient Tethys Ocean during the early Eocene. This extends the fossil record of whales by some 3.5 million years.[3]
Himalayacetus lived in the coastline of the ancient Tethys Ocean before the Indian plate collided with Eurasia. It is only known from a single jaw fossil, which makes exact comparisons with other cetaceans almost impossible.[4]